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Attack Roll
An Attack Roll is a series of d10 rolls made to determine how much unmitigated (or Hits) an attack will inflict. This may then be reduced by the target's or other factors. The term "d10" originates from classic role-playing games, where "d" stands for "die" or "dice", and the number is used to denote the amount of sides on this dice. In computer gaming, a roll is a randomly generated number within certain confines (i.e. a roll of the metaphorical dice). Thus, a d10 roll is, in essence, a randomly generated integer between 1 and 10. The amount of dice being "rolled" corresponds to the strength of the attack (referred to as its Attack Strength). Each die is individually evaluated to determine whether it is a "success" or a "failure". Disregarding any modifiers, a roll is considered "successful" if its result is 3 or lower (or, alternatively, 8 or higher). This corresponds to a 30% success chance, which is called the base chance . The actual result of an Attack Roll is its amount of "successes" (also called "succesful hits"), which is always a sum between 0 and the Attack Strength. This is the value that is passed on to the next stage of the resolution process: mitigation. The term Attack Roll is sometimes also used to refer to the individual dice cast during this process. However, as Defense Rolls are triggered only after all of the attack dice in the series have been rolled and evaluated, this article considers the entire series to be a single Attack Roll. Concept Attack Rolls have been an integral part of role-playing games since the dawn of their era. Whenever a creature or character tries to hit something (most often another creature or character) with a sword or spell, some method is called for to determine whether they succeed in their endeavour. This is commonly implemented as an Attack Roll. In the d20 system, for example, which draws its roots from Dungeons and Dragons, an attack roll is made using a 20-sided dice, with the opponent’s defense score (called Armor Class there) used as a target number for success. In that system, defense is a passive attribute, and does not have its own rolls. The system used in MoM is different in two very important ways. First, potential damage is a linear function of the Attack Strength. In d20, no damage can be dealt if the attack roll is below the target number (the attack simply misses), and the actual damage is determined by a separate die roll instead. In contrast, MoM makes a roll for every single point of the Attack Strength, with each roll representing an individual source of potential damage. Second, defense provides a linear function for damage reduction. Instead of it being a passive attribute, that is only used to determine the target number for attack rolls; Defense in this game is also an active characteristic. A roll is made for every single point of Defense, with each of them representing a source of potential damage reduction. This contrasts d20's use of Armor as a damage avoidance statistic instead. There are two basic ways to conceptualize the attack process. The first, arguably simpler method, is to consider each point of Attack Strength as a separate attempt at dealing damage. This may be easier to understand, but other mechanics suggest that this is not the way the developers intended it to work. Instead, the whole series of rolls (one for each point of Attack Strength) is meant to represent a single attempt at causing damage, with the result setting out the magnitude of the hit (before any reductions). Effect Attack Rolls are the second step in the resolution of any conventional attack. They are involved in all regular-, and most special attacks, that a unit can make: , all , , , and, to a certain extent, Gaze Attacks. They are also used to determine direct (both normal and Area Damage). On the other hand, Attack Rolls play no role in resolving the caused by and other Life Stealing attacks; Poison Touch; or any other -based spell or Special Attack. They are also omitted for attacks that deal Doom-/Chaos Damage, including any attacks made against units affected by . Naturally, effects that make no Attack Roll may also not be defended against using Defense Rolls (but will often involve rolls instead). Attack Rolls convert potential damage (Attack Strength) into actual, unmitigated using random "dice rolls". As such, they have two important characteristics besides the type of the dice being used: the amount of dice that needs to be rolled, and the method for evaluating the result. The former is determined by the strength of the attack, while the latter is based on whether each individual die was rolled "successfully" or not. Attack Strength : The strength of an attack sets out the number of "dice" used for an Attack Roll. Thus, a creature with an Attack Strength of will only get a single die, while a spell with a strength of will roll 15 dice. This is why Attack Rolls are only the second step in resolving attacks: they have to be preceded by the determination of the Attack Strength. Each dice is individually evaluated to be either a "success" or a "failure" based on the number rolled, and the result of the Attack Roll is the amount of "successes" generated. This will always be between 0 and the Attack Strength, and corresponds to the raw delivered by the attack (before any mitigation). Success Chance The base chance for each "dice" of an Attack Roll to succeed is 30%, which can be visualized either as the results 1, 2, and 3; or the results 8, 9, and 10; of the 10-sided "dice". While technically the same, the difference may make understanding modifiers easier. All spells cast by Wizards and Heroes use the base 30% success chance for their Attack Rolls, and this may not be altered by any means. The Immolation ability also uses this value, despite any modifiers active on the unit possessing it. It is always considered to be a spell attack, rather than one made by the unit. "To Hit" modifiers : When performing attacks (whether Melee, Ranged, or Special); most fantastic creatures, and experienced Normal Units and Heroes do not actually use the base success chance. Instead, their rolls are influenced by a separate statistic called a ; to represent a higher (or, in the case of cursed units, an unnaturally low) accuracy. Going by the dual visualization given above, either apply to the "target number" of the rolls (in the first case), or the result of the rolls (in the second case). Take, for instance, a modifier of +1 To Hit. If the rolls succeeded on 1, 2, and 3, the modifier would be added to the target number for success, yielding successes on 1, 2, 3, and 4 instead. On the other hand, if rolls succeeded on an 8 or higher, the modifier would be added directly to the rolled number, making a roll of 7 also a success. Both visualizations lead to the same result in terms of statistical chance of success. In fact, on this wiki, are generally expressed as percentage numbers for easier understanding, in which case they simply modify the chance for success by the amount indicated. However, it is important to note that the actual rolls are not percentages, and in the case of such representation, only whole multiples of 10% will be used in practice (i.e. there is no 37% chance to hit, only 30% or 40%). Sources :Modifiers , both positive and negative, can come from a multitude of sources, ranging from experience and weapon quality; through abilities and spells; to distance modifiers for ranged attacks. A comprehensive list of sources and their respective modifiers can be found in the "To Hit Modifiers" section of the main article. In addition, an overview table is located in the following section (excluding Ranged and Counter Attack penalties). Dealing Damage : :See also: Defense Roll, Damage Points As noted already, Attack Rolls are the second step in resolving an attack (after determining effective Attack Strength). They are normally only performed once during the process. This may sound confusing, as more often than not an "Attack" command given to a unit will involve multiple Attack Rolls. However, each of these is always part of a separate damage resolution process, revolving solely around a single one of these rolls. Even in the case of Area Damage, where each in a unit is attacked individually, the resolution is separate up to the point of summing up and applying the . This is akin to the simultaneous delivery of Melee Damage, where neither combatant suffers any until the amount they deal has also been calculated. The entire process looks something like this: Area Damage is different from this in that it never deals excess , and instead discards anything above the 's current in step #6, simply storing the remaining value as actual . On the other hand, Area Damage resolution also executes steps #1 through #6 for all of the target unit before moving on to steps #7 and #8 to sum up and apply the . Multi-Figure Units In a , each separate gets to make an attack whenever the unit as a whole performs one. Each of these individually possesses the same Attack Strength as the entire unit, and each attack is handled as a separate process. This has two major consequences. On one hand, it means that the total potential of such a unit is not quite its Attack Strength, but rather, it is this attribute multiplied by the amount of remaining . Thus, more obviously means more potential . On the other hand, however, because each attacks separately, the actual is generally much lower in practice than the direct product of the Attack Strength and count would indicate. This is because each Attack Roll represents a separate source of raw damage, and as such these can also be reduced individually by the defender, who gets to make a Defense Roll against every single attack. Unfortunately, this is in direct contradiction to what is stated in the Game Manual, which claims that only one Attack Roll is made using the product of the Attack Strength and count. That information is incorrect, the game actually performs a separate attack for every . Category:Combat